“Oh, my boy, my boy! What are you doing?” he next cried, anent Madelaine. “You’re fortunate enough for your first wife to die on you. Straightaway you go putting your head in the halter again! After all I tried to save you from! After all your father’s example! Oh, well! You deserve nothing but the misery coming to you! This is a just world!”
“Let’s not talk about Miss Theddon, father. She’s the sort of lady I’m afraid you wouldn’t understand.”
“Wouldn’t I, though? Don’t try to tell me there’s any kind of female I don’t understand! I’m older than you and therefore must know better. And never mind how many miles of land and water separate us, young man, remember I am always your father. I am always your father!”
“Just what has that to do with an understanding of womanhood?” asked Nathan quietly. The old, old feeling of groping in a fog the moment he came in contact with his father came over him. He wanted to fight it savagely.
“Just you wait till you’re married to her a spell—long enough for the ‘new’ to wear off! You’ll see! You think she’s fine and grand now, just because she’s got a pretty face! But you wait! You’ll be sorry not taking your wise father’s advice. Just as you did once before. Wait till you see her running around in broken corsets or dirty underclothes——”
“Father, you’re disgusting. Please change the subject!”
“You can’t tell me nothing about women, young man! Didn’t I live twenty-five years with one! They’re all alike! And ninety-nine per cent. of ’em are bad—bad clean through to the spleen. But I’ll pray for you, my son—I’ll never cease praying for you!”
V
The Siberia Maru was prompt in casting off. Johnathan grew a bit abusive, then hysterical, as the hour drew near for departure. He clutched his boy as though he would hold him by force. Nathan waited until the last moment. Then he turned and extended his hand.
“Good-by, father,” he said.